changing the national dialogue and federal landscape

The First Five Years Fund seeks to expand the public's understanding that the first five years of life are actually every child's first five years of learning. The First Five Years Fund aims to focus nationwide attention and resources on comprehensive, quality early care and learning programs for children from birth to age five. The First Five Years Fund seeks to increase the number of policymakers, private foundations and business leaders who believe in the value of supporting young children early, intensively and over time.

The First Five Years Fund is supported by Buffett Early Childhood Fund, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Irving Harris Foundation, an anonymous foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Heising-Simmons Foundation. These philanthropies apply a private-sector approach to social change and recognize early learning as a particularly cost-effective and influential investment.

Learn more about Invest in US, a public awareness campaign to encourage smarter public and private investments in early learning.